Place a ball under your feet
While standing, use your weight to press a tennis ball deep into the target area of your foot. This exercise will add pressure and massage the foot to alleviate symptoms of arch pain, heel pain, and general discomfort in the foot. The relaxed muscles will help your feet become less prone to future injury.
Do heel raises to combat heel pain
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain that occurs from overuse or damage to the area supporting the arch in your foot. Plantar Fasciitis, and other forms of heel
To perform a heel raise, stand at the end of a stair in your bare feet. Allow your heel to hang over the edge of the stair and slowly raise it up so you are standing on your tiptoes. Let your heel fall back down and gently raise it again to activate the muscles in your arch and balls of your feet. This exercise will strengthen the muscles in your lower feet, helping them heal and prevent further injuries.
Perform the pebble exercise to improve dexterity
The pebble exercise requires the use of your toes and balls of your feet to squeeze small objects. For the pebble exercise, these small objects are generally small pebble rocks or marbles.
Find a comfortable chair and sit with a cup on the ground next to your feet with 15 pebbles on the floor in front of you. Use your toes to maneuver and squeeze the objects tightly as you lift and place them into the cup. Repeat until you’ve finished grabbing 15 pebbles per foot. This exercise helps strengthen the toes while simultaneously stretching out the smaller muscles in the bottom of your feet.
Toe stretches and curls
Stretching and curling your toes can help you improve flexibility and eliminate any stiffness in the area. Start by sitting in a chair with your feet planting on the ground. Lift your toes up into the air while your feet remain on the floor, holding for 10 seconds. Then curl your toes under your feet so you’re gently pressing them into the ground with your weight. You will hold this position for another ten seconds, and then repeat both exercises ten times, or until your foot feels well enough to stop.
These light exercises, when performed daily, can help diminish the symptoms of your foot conditions. Even if you are not experiencing persistent foot pain, it is important to keep your feet limber to avoid the risk of injuring them in the future.
If you are experiencing foot pain that persists through routine stretching and exercise, Kansas City Foot Specialists can help. Call us at (13) 338-4440 or contact us online to set up an appointment so that we can work toward relieving your pain and get you back into tip-top shape.
